


Say it With Flowers

by CatrinaSL



Series: A Simple Device [76]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Darcy Lewis Swears, F/M, Flowers, Language of Flowers, Revenge, SHIP DARCY WITH ALL THE THINGS, Socks, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-13
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-22 21:06:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7453975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatrinaSL/pseuds/CatrinaSL
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve is just waiting while his friend tries to fix a screw-up when his Soulmate shows up and mistakes him for an employee.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Say it With Flowers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aleph (Immatrael)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Immatrael/gifts).



> Darcy's bouquet of loathing comes from a (slightly altered) prompt by [demisexualmerrill](http://demisexualmerrill.tumblr.com/post/145668425096), a flower translation by [koschiis](http://koscheiis.tumblr.com/post/145738369188/flower-shop-au), and a lovely illustration by [nixhil](http://nixhil.tumblr.com/post/145903185509/flower-shop-au). aenramsden requested I make it into a Soulmate fic.
> 
> Soulmate AU Reminder: Everyone has a Soulmark, a tattoo of the first words their Soulmate will say to them. Showing someone else your Soulmark is like baring your soul to them, so most people only show their Soulmate or very trusted friends.

Bucky screwed up. He screwed up bad. 

Steve didn't know why (and from what he gathered, neither did Bucky), but he could tell by her face that Natasha was about three minutes away from shooting at him, and Buck didn't have a shield to hide behind.

"Say it With Flowers," the sign they passed had encouraged, and Bucky nearly knocked Steve over in his urgency to get inside.

While his friend was in conference with the floral art designer, Steve milled around the flower shop, turning down offers of assistance from employees and inspecting various ready-made arrangements. 

He was standing near the front counter, browsing through an assortment of get well cards when the brunette stormed in. She looked familiar; Steve was just wondering if he had seen her somewhere before when she slammed a twenty dollar bill down on the counter and said his Words: "Sell me something pretty, please. But can you make it so that what it actually means is 'fuck you'?"

Steve was unable to articulate a reply.

She didn't seem bothered, because a moment later when an employee stepped up and said, "Can I help you, Miss?" she turned to him and requested,

"Your most passive-aggressive bouquet, please."

He ushered her over to a different counter, and Steve's Soulmate glanced back at him momentarily before following.

"Okay, I'm ready to go," Bucky said, appearing beside Steve suddenly. He held a lovely arrangement peppered with different colored camellias and a deep purple hyacinth.

"Natasha hates purple," Steve observed.

Bucky looked down at the flowers in his hand. "Shit," he said, and headed back to remedy the situation.

Steve turned his eyes from his friend and watched his Soulmate gesturing wildly, presumably telling the flower shop employee why she needed a bouquet of flowers to convey such a message.

"Excuse me," he said, catching the attention of a passing employee. "Could you recommend a good flower for me to give to my Soulmate?"

* * *

When he approached with the gloxinia plant in his hand, his Soulmate was filling out a delivery form for her purchase.

She spotted him and looked a little sheepish. "Sorry about earlier," she said. "Lori, his girl I work with, gets flowers from her boyfriend a lot, and every single time she does, she rubs it in everybody's face. It's stupid and petty, so I'm sending her something stupid and petty so that I can smile vindictively from the other side of the lab while she coos over it and squeaks about how pretty it is and how much better her boyfriend is than anybody else's."

The lab—that was it. She worked in the labs at the Tower. 

He set the pot on the counter and scooted the flower toward her.

She eyed him. "What is it?" she asked.

He pointed at the flower. "Love at first sight," he replied.

She dropped her pen.

"Okay,  _ now _ I'm ready," Bucky interrupted, presenting the mix of camellias and gladioli for Steve's inspection.

But his Soulmate was shaking her head. "Flowers aren't gonna cut it, man," she said. "All Nat wants is for you to stop leaving your socks all over her apartment. Did you know she found one in her  _ dishwasher _ yesterday?"

Bucky blinked, taken aback at this insight.

"If it were me, I'd just stop wearing socks," Steve's Soulmate continued. "And I mean, the flowers can't hurt, but they really should come with some serious sock-related concessions."

"Uh, thanks," Bucky managed.

"Buck, this is my Soulmate," Steve introduced.

"Darcy Lewis," she finished, reaching over to shake Bucky's hand. "I came in to buy a bouquet of loathing. The flowers were expensive, but I also met my Soulmate, so I think I came out ahead."

Steve grinned. "Think you can get back to base alone?" he asked Bucky. "I was thinking of taking my best girl dancing." He turned to Darcy. “If you want to, that is.”

She smiled. “As it happens, I like dancing even more than I like flowers.”

* * *

About two weeks after they met, Steve got a series of text messages and a big thank you kiss when every single person in the lab  _ except _ Lori got flowers from Captain America.

**Author's Note:**

> Other flower translations used in this fic come from [The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension](http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/publications/flowers/flowers.html).
> 
> [Reblog on tumblr](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com/post/147343898593/flower-shop-au)
> 
> Tumblr: [catrinasl](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com)
> 
> Twitter: [@Catrina_SL](http://twitter.com/Catrina_SL)


End file.
